Vending machine



April 20, 1937. L H, M RW 2,077,430

VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 8, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet l L. H.MORIN April 20, 1937..

VENDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Shet 2 Original Filed Sept. 8, 1934 L, H. MORINA ril 20, 1937.

VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 8, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 a 14 0 cvvbo n lowl /$5410);

April 20, 1937. MORIN 2,077,430

- VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 8, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4[oak/50%);

April 20, 1937. L. H. MORIN 2,077,430

I VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 8, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 PatentedApr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES VENDING MACHINE Louis H. Morin, New York, N.Y., assignor to The Coca-Cola Company, Wilmington, DeL, a. corporationof Delaware Original application September 8, 1934, Serial Divided andthis application June 6, 1935, Serial No. 25,336

4 Claims.

The invention relates to vending machines particularly to vendingmachines for bottled goods, this application being a division of myapplication Serial Number 743,255, filed September 8,

1934, for patent on Vending machine.

It is an object of the invention to provide means effecting the deliveryof a bottle under control of coin controlled mechanism.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means actuated in theabsence of a bottle in position to be delivered, preventing theinsertion of a coin.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription when read in connection with the accompanying drawingsshowing an illustrative embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a fragmentaryelevation showing the cover or closure sections in open relation.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 5.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of certain parts preventing deposit of acoin when the apparatus on line 3-3 2 5 iS empty.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 3 on line 5--5 ofFig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line 66 of Fig. 3, particularlyshowing a clutch or coupling 30 mechanism to operate the machine undercoincontrol.

Fig. 7 is a view substantially similar to a portion of Fig. 6 butshowing the clutch or coupling mechanism released as at the start ofan 5operation.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on line 8-8 of Fig. 3 showing a drivingmechanism.

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective of the drive shaft and pinion with someof the parts in separated 40 relation.

Fig. 12 is a detail vertical section on line |2l 2 10.

As shown the apparatus comprises a suitable 0 portable cabinet 32,adapted to be appropriately supported, interiorly of which is a tank 33,and between which tank and the cabinet walls, suitable insulation 34 isprovided. The tank 33 is open at the top and is secured to the inturned'55 upper flange 35 ofth'e cabinet 32 at 36 as shown,

forming a properly insulated rectangular double wall structure.

The tank 33, as best shown in Fig. 3, is provided with a drain pipe 31communicating with a fitting 38, the discharge from which drain pipe iscontrolled by means of a petcock 40 at an outlet 4|. Said tank isadapted to be filled with iced water and this drain construction isequipped to control the level of the cooling water within the tank.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 3, at the top of the closure orcover 42 on the edges thereof, there is an inturned bead 43 which holdsa covering sheet 44 of linoleum or other suitable material in place.Said cover 42 is double walled as sheet 44 is supplemented by a wall at45 and suitable insulation 46 is disposed between these walls. Mountedon the inturned edge 35 is a rubber breaker strip or gasket 41 adaptedto receive the extended edge of the cover 42 and to form a sealtherewith when the cover is in closed position. There is an additionalcover 48 affording access to the interior of the tank 33 for inspectionand re-icing, such cover 48 having a handle 49 and a lock 50.

The front cover 42 is mounted on four swingable links 53 connected bypivots 54 on the under side of said cover and by pivots 55 on theinterior of the tank 33.

On the walls of the tank 33 (Figs. 3 and 5) near the bottom thereof arefour supports I3 having horizontal portions 14 adapted to removablysupport, by means of bolts 15, a chassis for the bottle conveyingmechanism, such chassis being designated as a whole by the numeral 16.This chassis is a skeleton metallic frame having four bolt-receivinglugs 11 provided with openings cooperating with bolts 15 to removably.secure the chassis to the supports 13.

The mechanism for holding and covering the bottles to be vended isessentially a chain conveyor and consists of a plurality of receptacles98, each one of which comprises bottle holding cups 99 and I00, formedof a single stamping. The vertical sides of the bottle holding cups arecut away as at I04, in order to enable free circulation of the coolingwater through the bottle cups and also to reduce the resistance of thecooling water against the travel of the conveyor through such coolingwater.

The chain conveyor carrying the receptacles 99 and M0 is driven by asprocket, not shown, mounted on hollow shaft I23, which is releasably ordetachably keyed at its upper end bymeans of a key I to a second shaftI25 rotatably mounted in a bearing I21. The key I25 engages a slot I28in the shaft I26 in normal operating position,

and permits relative vertical movement of the shafts I23 and I26 whilestill coupled for rotation, as set forth later.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the said shaft I26 has integrally formedtherewith an annular plate or disc member I29 depending from which are aseries of cams I30.- Mounted upon said member 0 I29 is a gear I3I havingexternal teeth I32 which in turn mesh with a gear I33 carried by a shaftI34 mounted in a suitable bracket I35 attached by supports I36 to theinterior wall of a dome or housing I31 and in an adjustable bearing I35,

supported also by said housing I31. Said shaft I34 carries a bevel gearI38 which is normally adapted to rotate freely about or loose on suchshaft I34, but which can be, through the medium of a clutch mechanismI39, made to drive the shaft I34. The said gear I38 meshes with a bevelgear I39 mounted upon and rotatable with a shaft I40 which extendsthrough to the front of the casing I31 where such shaft I40 is providedwith an operating handle MI.

The front of the casing I31 is provided with a coin slot I42 adapted forthe insertion of a coin of the proper denomination for the price of thearticle to be vended. Insertion of a coin in such slot I 42 followed bymanual turning of the handle MI in a clockwise direction, operatesconventional coin-controlled mechanism which forms no portion of thepresent invention except as described hereinafter. A coin controlledmechanism which may be employed, is disclosed in Letters Patent No.2,015,351, issued to me on September 24, 1935.

The operation just described causes the coincontrolled mechanism tofunction and a continuous movement of the handle IlI moves or causes adetent member I43 to swing against the tens sion of a spring I44 torelease contact with and move out of the path of an extension I45 of apawl I46 to trip the pawl against the tension of a spring I41.

Said pawl I46 serves as a coupling or clutch means to control operationof the machine by the handle I4I. Such pawl I46 is pivotally mounted bya shaft I to the free end of a bracket member I59 which is fixed toshaft I34. 50 Secured to the lower end of said shaft I50 is an abutmentI49 which in operative position is engaged by one of a series of studsI49 carried on the upper face of the bevel gear I 38, when detent I43has disengaged pawl I46.

An extension I48 is provided on pawl I46 and engages a stop I48" onbracket member I50 to ensure engagement of abutment I49 and one of thestuds I49 through arcuate alinement.

When the various parts are in their operative 0 positions as shown inFig. 6, shaft I40 and gear I39 are rotated by means of handle MI and inturn rotate gear I38. One of the studs I49 engages the abutment I49, androtates the entire clutch mechanism, through the medium of 5 bracket I50", thereby rotating shaft I34 and shaft I26 through gears I3I andI33.

When the coin mechanism is at rest or in inoperative position, themember I43 contacts extension I 45 of pawl I46 and holds abutment I48 7out of the circle of the studs I49 against the action of spring I41, sothat if handle MI is turned, gear I38 will rotateidly on shaft I43. Uponcompletion of the complete revolution of gear I38, cam I45 again engagesmember I43 75 which has returned by operation of the coincontrolledmechanism to its original position and holds the clutch mechanism inidling position.

The aforesaid cams I 30 are timed to engage an anti-friction roller I5Icarried by a shaft I52 slidably mounted within a bearing I53 and havinga vertical slot I54 at its lower end detachably engaging a transversepin I55 mounted on a stub shaft I56 normally held in extreme verticalposition in a bearing I51 by means of a coil spring I58 compressedbetween the bearing I51 and an annular member I58 carried by the shaftI56.

'Said'shaft I56 is pivotally connected at I59 Figure 5, to abottle-ejecting yoke I60 pivotally mounted at I6I and I62, such yokecarrying a pair of fingers I63 located so that during the latter. partof their upward travel they are directly in line with the slots I05 inthe bottom of either cup 99 or I00 as the case may be.

Directly above the bottle to be vended by the apparatus, the cover 42has a discharge opening I64 protected by an annular metal casing or ringI65 which carries a disc I66 of sheet rubber or other suitable material,having a small centralopening I61 around which the disc I66 is slitradially to form V-shaped segments which taper toward the opening I61.

Below the ring I65 is a guard member designated as a whole by thenumeral I69 and comprising a depending annular skirt I10 provided with apair of slots or openings I1I in line with the transverse path of travelof the bottles I12 on the front stretch of the conveyor as they traveltoward the discharge opening.

The purpose of this member I69 is to prevent the unauthorized removal ofa bottle through the discharge opening by insertion of the fingersthrough such discharge opening prior to the discharging operation of thebottle as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 10.

To prevent deposit of a coin when there are no bottles contained withinthe machine, means are provided as follows: A bar I13 extends parallelwith the front line of bottles nearest the point of discharge and ispivotally mounted on a horizontal axis to guard I10 as at I14, extendingbetween said guard and a guide I15 carried by said guard and is providedadjacent the discharge opening I64, with a horizontally disposed leafI15 of a length to engage the tops of at least two of the oncomingbottles which maintains the bar I13 normally horizontal. In the absenceof a bottle beneath leaf I15, the righthand end of bar I13 lowers, Fig.5, and the lefthand end of such bar I13 raises, also raising a bar I16,due to the contraction of a spring I11, attached to bar I16 and casing I31, member I16 carrying a link I18, see Fig. 4.

Bar I16 is pivotally connected at I16 to a link I18, journaled at I18 ina bracket I18" on casing I31 as shown in Fig. 6, thus enabling aterminal I19 of said link, when the machine is empty, to enter anopening I80 in the coin-controlled mechanism and intercept movement of ahorizontally movable slide I19 of that mechanism to the left in Fig. 6,which movement is essential to enable slide I19 to uncover the coindeposit slot I42, the specific construction of such coin-controlledmechanism otherwise formingno part of the present invention. Thus theraising and lowering of bar I16 respectively rocks link I18 into and outof opening I80 and the path of return movement of slide I19. Broadlyexpressed, bar I 13 lowers at its right-hand end, Fig. ,5, when themachine is empty as there are no bottles beneath leaf I15 to keep itraised and terminal I19 enters opening I80 and intercepts return of theslide I19, and hence prevents uncovering of coin slot I42 by that slide.

In the absence of a coin in the slot I42, the handle I4I may be revolvedfreely without operating the vending mechanism, as turning of the handleI4I will rotate shaft I40 and the gear I39 carried thereby andconsequently the bevel gear I38 only. Said bevel gear I38 moves freelyabout the shaft I34 because the abutment I49 is out of the path ofmovement of the studs I49 and consequently no clutching action takesplace.

Upon the insertion of a coin in slot I42 and a subsequent rotation ofhandle I4I, the coin-controlled mechanism operates and releases orretracts detent member I43 from contact with pawl element I45, whereuponspring I41 moves the clutch pawl I46 toward shaft I34 thereby placingabutment I49 in the same circle with the studs I49 on gear I39.Continued rotation of the handle I 4| causes the adjacent stud I49 toengage said abutment I49 which couples gear I38 to shaft I34 throughbracket I50. As shaft I34 revolves, it drives through the medium of gearI33, the gear I3I enmeshed therewith which carries with it the disc I29imparting rotation also to shafts I26 and I23 which imparts motion tothe entire conveyor.

Upon the start of an operation there is no bottle in line with dischargeopening I64 and the adjacent bottle cannot be reached by the fingersbecause of guard I10.

As the conveyor brings a cup containing a bottle to be vended close tothe discharge opening I 64, one of the cams I30 engages the roller I5!on shaft I52 toimpart a downward motion against the tension of springI52 to the latter shaft which in turn is transmitted to shaft I36, whichby means of its pivoted connection I59 with the yoke I60, causes suchyoke to rock on its axis I6I and impart vertical movement to thedischarge fingers I63, which by this time are aligned with the slots I05in the bottom of the bottle-containing cup now directly beneath thedischarge opening I64.

Continued rotation of the handle I M causes the fingers I63 to risethrough slots I05 into the cup, lifting and supporting the bottle insuch cup partly ejected in the discharge opening I64 as shown in dottedlines in Fig. 10. During such upward movement of the bottle I12, itpasses through disc I66 and pushes apart the segments I68 so that thebottle may then be removed by hand, the bottle being wiped by the saidsegments.

The parts just referred to for the discharge operation remain in thisposition until the next vending operation is started when the engagingcam I30 disengages the shaft I58 for operating the discharge mechanismand the parts return to normal position to repeat the operation justdescribed.

The bottles I12 maintain bar I13 level and upon the exhaustion of thebottles from the apparatus, the right-hand end of bar I13 will lower dueto the contraction of spring I11, resulting in the raising of bar I16and rocking of link I18 so that its terminal I19 enters opening I80 andintercepts the return of slide I19, thus preventing such slide fromuncovering the coin slot I42, until the machine has been refilled withbottles.

Various changes may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A machine of the class described havin coin-controlled means operableto release a bottle or the like, and mechanism under control of thebottle being vended operable automatically to prevent insertion of acoin in the absence of an article to be vended comprising a tubularguard having a bottle-entrance opening, a pivoted element on said guardhaving a portion in the line of discharge movement of bottles or thelike to engage and rest on the upper ends of advancing bottles, and ameans urging lowering of the element at the bottle engaging end thereof,a bar actuated by said element, a rocker link actuated by the bar, and aslide governing the deposit of coin, into and out of the path ofmovement of which said link is rocked.

2. A device of the class described having a discharge opening, agenerally tubular guard, said guard having an entrance opening forbottles or the like, said guard being in the line of movement of thebottles or the like to said discharge opening, conveyor means to advancebottles through said openingfa pivoted element having a portionexteriorly of said guard and in the said line to rest on the upper endsof the advancing bottles, coin-controlled means to operate said conveyormeans having a coin-deposit slot, and means effective to move saidelement to close said slot in the absence of bottles.

3. A device of the class described having a discharge opening, agenerally tubular guard, said guard having an entrance opening forbottles or the like, said guard being in the line of movement of thebottles or the like to said discharge opening, conveyor means to advancebottles through said opening, a pivoted element having a portionexteriorly of said guard and in the said line to rest on the upper endsof the advancing bottles, coin-controlled means to operate said conveyormeans having a coin-deposit slot, and means effective to move saidelement to close said slot in the absence of bottles, said portionhaving a laterally extending guide leaf at the top thereof directlyengageable at its under surface with the upper ends of the bottles.

4. A machine of the class described having coin-controlled meansoperable to release a bottle or the like, and mechanism under control ofthe bottle being vended operable automatically to prevent insertion of acoin in the absence of an article to be vended comprising a guard havinga bottle entrance opening, an element on said guard having a portionsubstantially in line with said opening to engage bottles and rest onportions thereof, and means urging movement of the element at the bottleengaging portion thereof under coin-control.

LOUIS H. MORIN.

